Two Hawkes
by Snow Tempest
Summary: Both Marian and Garrett have come down with a cold (Hawke Twins AU) and Fenris is the only friend to show up.
Four children when The Blight began, two pairs of dark haired twins. Garret and Marian Hawke were the eldest, followed by Carver and Bethany. But Carver was taken by an ogre and Bethany soon after from The Blight. And now, the remaining of the house of Hawke were both in bed, brought down by a mere cold.

"This is your fault, you know." Marian sniffled, snot dripping from one nostril and a soggy but cool cloth dripping water onto the pillows that propped her up.

Her twin rolled his eyes and coughed dryly, "I don't know what you are talking about, but this had better not be the beginning of a lecture on how I shouldn't go cavorting with strange dwarves."

"You went into the Dwarven merchant guild's meeting in place of Varric and came back soaked head to toe in Dwarven Ale and gold dust and you are surprised you caught a cold…and then gave it to me."

"Yes, I know I probably deserved it and you didn't. But I like to share, I'm nice like that." Garret made a kissy face at his sister which earned him an exasperated eye roll with a cracked grin.

A knock came from the door and they both called out, "Come in,"

Bodleian opened the door. "A friend here to see you," He said with a small bow, then backed out of the doorway and went back downstairs.

Fenris stepped through the door and laid his eyes on the unusual sight of the two bedridden Hawkes.

"You don't know how to take care of yourselves, do you?" He sighed, but not without hinting amusement.

"His fault." Marian blamed, pointing at the offending sibling.

"Is not!" Garret protested.

"Is too." Maria, stuck her tongue out at Garret childishly.

Fenris watched them bicker, half amused, half contemplating. Seeing the twins like this was… refreshing. Fenris decided. They were usually different in public, good leaders who showed no weaknesses who could balance their reputation in both high class society and also in Kirkwall's underground community. Two of the only mages Fenris had come to respect, and they were currently behaving like sick bored five year olds.

"What brings you to our sick ward?" Garret asked cheerily, breaking off into a series of dry coughs.

Marian rubbed her brother on the back as she reached for the cup of water on the stool pulled up close to her side of the bed.

"You should go before you get sick too." Marian said while handing her brother the cup.

Garret nodded in agreement then frowned, taking the cup from his mouth,

"I think I heard something about pretty people being unable to catch colds."

"Did you hear that from Varric?" Fenris asked, coming closer to the bed, setting a bundle of cloth next to the pitcher of water on the stool.

"Good point," Garret stated.

"It's bullshit." Marian finished.

Both their eyes fixed on the cloth bundle at the same time,

"What is it?" They chorused, curiosity sparking in both their eyes.

Fenris reached for the cloth and moved some of it aside, revealing herbs of different kinds.

"I learned a little on how to make good medicine from my time as a slave. And—" He stopped, a worried look coming into his eyes. He looked down, breaking eye contact.

"…If you would permit me to help you with what little I can offer."

"You don't have to ask, Fenris." Marian said caringly, a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes, we are friends, after all." Garret said honestly, ginning widely.

Fenris smiled back and wondered why it was only when either of them smiled like that at him it made his heart feel warm.

"You could turn us into a newt without asking and we wouldn't care, right?" Garret proclaimed dramatically, turning to his sister for agreement.

"Right," Marian nodded.

"I am no mage." Fenris said, feeling confused why they would think he could turn them into an amphibian.

"Oh, we know."

"It was just an example."

A new trail of water leaked from the wet cloth on Marian's forehead. Fenris sighed in disapproval and took it and rung it out over the watcher basin and redipped it into the water and rung it out again, leaving only a little water soaked in.

He placed it gently folded on Marian's forehead, causing a blush to heat her cheeks in a furious red.

Concerned at this development, Fenris felt Marian's face with his cool hand.

"A fever, maybe?" He mused quietly, his eyes scanning as he felt more sides of her face.

This didn't last much longer until Garret stuck his head in between Fenris and his sister whining, "No fair! Check me for a fever too, Fenris!" he pouted.

Causing the elf to back away and chuckle, "You will be next, then."

He crossed over to the other side of the bed as Garret smirked triumphantly at his sister until he felt the sharp pinch of his ear being tugged.

Fenris held him by the ear and watched the grown man squirm and squawk in protest, a small smile came to his face one more as he let go.

"As I thought; no fever. You are lucky, Hawke." He said, then the beginnings of a frown began to form between his brow.

"Who is in charge of caring for you?"

"Mother is visiting Gamlin today, so… no one." Garret explained.

"The mage hasn't been by to see you?"

"You mean Anders? He has his own patients." Marian said shrugging her shoulders.

"So no one is here to take care of you?"

"We have each other, you know." Marian and Garret slung their arms across each other's shoulders and held the pose until Marian sneezed, and Garret dove for the snot rag.

Fenris watched them panic and toss back and forth the mucusy snot rag until finally managing to Marian to successfully blow her nose.

"We did it!"

Garret held a hand up for a hand clap, Maria's hand met his and they entwined fingers, smiling intimately at each other.

Fenris felt his heart throb as he watched them.

Then they turned to Fenris and smiled warmly at him as well,

"Thanks for turning up here and looking out for us, Fenris,"

"Yes, thank you a hundred times, Fenris." Maria echoed.

The Hawke twins made Fenris feel incredibly and undeniably relaxed when they acted as a team; on the battlefield it meant they were in sync and all the more powerful, but in their private life they were very _soft_ and _welcoming_. He didn't know how else to describe it.

Watching them act intimately and childishly with each other right in front of him made him feel included, made him feel loved.

He knew it was selfish, but—

"In exchange for taking care of you today, and whenever you might have need of me…"

Their attention turned fully to him, their gazes glowing and riveted to him.

"Asking things of us, finally, are you?"

"He's opened up to us!"

They looked so beautiful, sitting there clasping hands still in their bedclothes, grinning as though they didn't have a care in the world but with their eyes watering and their noses dripping like Hell.

Fenris found it hard to give voice to the next words, "I…never mind."

"Are you feeling alright? Hawke got your tongue?" Garret joked light-heartedly with a wink at Fenris.

"We love you, Fenris!" Marian burst out ecstatically, lunging forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug.

"No, I'm sure I love him more than you, sister." He said, attempting to pull his sister away from the Elf.

"I saw him first!" She huffed, tightening her grip.

"I spoke to him first!" Garret grunted, pulling harder for his sister to let go.

"Enough! Fassta vaas!" Fenris cursed, peeling Marian's arms off his torso. "I am going to make your medicine now. Stay put until it's done." He ordered, grabbing the herbs from the stool and exiting the room to go to the kitchens downstairs.

"He does care," Marian sighed dreamily.

"Hmm," Garret sounded, his eyes shifting to study his sister's face. After a few moments of silence, he spoke. "You love him."

"Yes. And you?"

"I feel the same way."

They sat there in prolonged silence and in the dreadful knowledge of the coming storm.

When Fenris came back in a little while later with a tray with a steaming pot of brackish tea in hand, he saw that the Hawke twins were fast asleep in each other's arms.

He set the tray down on the table in the room with a sigh and sat down in the chair next to it and watched them breath in and out evenly.

"It would not be fair to ask for so much from both of you."

His eyes lingered on their sleeping forms and he gave a small smile.

"Rest well, Hawke."


End file.
